Dust Storm — West Central Deserts, Arizona
August 15, 2016 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
Isolated thunderstorms developed across portions of La Paz county during the early afternoon on August 15th and due to limited moisture and very hot temperatures, they generated gusty outflow winds reaching as least as high as 40 mph. The gusty winds created dense blowing dust which lowered visibility to near zero across the Interstate 10 corridor near the town of Quartzsite. According to a news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the dust storm led to 5 separate crashes that involved a total of 14 vehicles. The crashes resulted in the fatality of a 78 year old woman who lived in Litchfield Park. The crashes also resulted in the closure of the interstate; it remained closed through 1900MST. The news release indicated that there were 3 non-injury crashes involving 8 vehicl
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Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.